Kotte
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| Sri Jayawardenepura - Kotte | |||
|
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| District | Kotte Division, Colombo District | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Swarnalatha Silva (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 17 km² (6.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2001)[1] | |||
| - City | 115,826 | ||
| - Density | 3,305/km² (8,559.9/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 2,234,289 | ||
| Time zone | Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30) | ||
Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, (ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ in Sinhala, ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்த்தனபுரம் கோட்டே in Tamil), also known as Kotte, is the Administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located beyond the eastern suburbs of the Commercial capital Colombo and is often called New Capital territory. The Parliament of Sri Lanka has been based here since the formal inauguration of its new building on 29 April 1982.
Contents |
[edit] History
Kotte (meaning 'Fortress') was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kotte from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Situated in a marshland, it was founded on the banks of the Diyawanna Oya river as a fortress against invasions from the Jaffna Kingdom of Arya Chakaravarthi in the 13th century by a Tamil chief named Nissanka Alagakkonara. Alagakkonara is mentioned by Ibn Batuta as ruling in Kurunegala, but other sources indicate that he was the Bandara (Guardian) of Raigama Korale (county) in the modern Kalutara District. Arya Chakravarthy's army was held by Alagakkonara in front of Kotte, while he defeated the enemy's invasion fleet at Panadura to the south-west.[1]
Kotte was a jala durgha (water fortress), in the shape of a triangle, with the Diyawanna Oya marshes forming two long sides; along the shorter third (land) side a large moat (the 'inner moat') was dug.
The city was fortified with ramparts of kabook or laterite rock. From the ramparts to the magnificent three storied buildings that housed the Kings Palace, Laterite and clay were the main raw material used in its construction. One of the places from which the laterite blocks were mined, could be seen even today inside the Ananda Sasthralaya premises.
The Portuguese arrived on the island in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the king. But they had militaristic and monopolistic intentions and gained control of the city by 1565. Failing to withstand repeated assaults by the forces of the neighbouring kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital.[2]
Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardhanapura was built with security in mind. A rampart and moat protected the entire city. Traces of this moat and rampart are still visible today at certain places. Along parts of the rampart, encroachers have now built houses, garages and even toilets.
The urbanisation of Kotte restarted in the 19th century. The archaeological remains were torn up and used as building materials (a process that continues) — some of it even ending up in the Victoria Bridge, across the Kelani River.
[edit] Name
The ancient name Jayawardenepura, is hardly different from the city's present name. Though during those times, it referred to the area outside the inner moat called Pitakotte (outer fort) and the area inside, Ethul Kotte (inner fort).
The word Kotte, is derived from the Malayalam word Kottei (fortress). Jayawardhanapura meaning victory enhancing city in Sinhala, was the name assigned to the place by its founder Alagakkonara.[3]
In 1979, with the decision to redevelop Kotte and its suburbs as the administrative capital[4] of the island within a municipal structure, Kotte got back its former name of Sri-Jaya-Vardhana-Pura-Kotte, translated as "the blessed fortress city of growing victory".
[edit] Legislature
The New Parliment was inaugurated on 29 April 1982. It was built once a massive lake was formed by dredging the marshlands around the Diyawanna Oya. The new parliamentary buildings were built on Duwa, a 50,000 square metre (12 acre) island in the centre of the lake. The island (off Baddegana Road, Pita Kotte) had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese soldiers in the last days of the Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal City. It had belonged to E.W. Perera and had housed a chicken farm prior to being vested in the state. On 29 April 1982, the new parliamentary complex was declared open by President J.R. Jayawardene.
The process of relocating government institutions from the former capital of Colombo is still in progress.
[edit] Municipal structure
The Kotte Urban Development Council was created in the 1930s, with a modern building at Rajagiriya. It was succeeded by the Kotte Urban Council, which had a large section of its area removed and tagged onto the Colombo Municipal Council ward of Borella while the Battaramulla urban council was dissolved and a section of Battaramulla tagged onto the Kotte Urban Council. The Kotte Urban Council became the Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte Municipal Council in 1997, with Chandra Silva as the first Mayor.
There are 20 Members of the Municipal Council (MMCs), elected on proportional representation. There are 10 wards, but these are now merely polling divisions, without individual representation.
[edit] Suburbs in the local government area
- Battaramulla
- Ethul Kotte
- Mirihana
- Madiwela
- Nawala
- Nugegoda
- Pelawatte
- Pita Kotte
- Rajagiriya
- Sri Jayawardenepura
[edit] Demographics
Kotte is a multi-ethnic, multi-religion city. The population of Kotte is mainly Sinhalese, with a mix of Muslims, Burghers and Tamils. There are small communities of people with Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Malay and Indian origins living here as well as a sizable expatriate community. According to the census of 2001 the demographics by ethnicity and religion is as follows.
| 2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese | 101,331 | 87.49% |
| Sri Lankan Tamil | 6,583 | 5.68% |
| Indian Tamil | 786 | 0.68% |
| Sri Lankan Moor | 4,031 | 3.48% |
| Burgher | 1,367 | 1.18% |
| Malay | 919 | 0.79% |
| Sri Lankan Chetty | 65 | 0.06% |
| Baratha | 57 | 0.05% |
| Other | 687 | 0.59% |
| Total | 115,826 | 100.00% |
| Buddhist | 93,364 | |
| Hindu | 4,550 | |
| Islam | 5,465 | |
| Roman Catholic | 8,659 | |
| Other Christian | 3,618 | |
| Other | 170 |
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Transport
The only major railway station is at Nugegoda, on the Kelani Valley Line. Also at Nugegoda is the city's main bus terminus. There are subsidiary bus stands at Pita Kotte and Welikada. The city is well served by buses and there is a major CTB bus depot at Udahamulla.
A Passenger boat service is being finalised and would commence adjacent to Parliament Junction at Bataramulla and end at the Wellawatte canal near Marine drive. Each journey would take around 30 minutes. It would have stations at the Kotte Marsh, Nawala, Open University, Apollo Hospital, Wellawatte, Duplication road and at St Peter's College, Colombo.[5]
[edit] Health
Kotte has a large public hospital, The Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital - also known as Nava rohala - located in Sri Jayawardenepura. The largest dedicated childrens ENT hospital is currently under construction at Rajagiriya.
[edit] Education
There are a number of State and Private Schools in Kotte. They are either are either "National schools" (run by the state), Semi-government/Private schools or International schools (run by trusts and individuals). The Education Ministry as well as the Department of Examinations is based here.
Affluent residents prefer International and private schools located in Colombo due to its close proximity and the use of English as a medium of instruction. Demand is especially high for affiliated International schools, and those run by convents or the Jesuits. The government run public schools lack certain facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive schools.
The Oldest National school which was known as Christian College is located in Kotte. And relocated at Bataramulla from its previous site in Colombo 02 is the Oldest International school catering exclusively to the expatriate community and a few select nationals; The Overseas School of Colombo.
Located at Nawala is the Open University, Sri Lanka and at Nugegoda is the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Public Libraries are conveniently located, and can be found at Nugegoda and Rajagiriya.
[edit] Utilities
The Kotte Municipal Council is responsible for the road maintenance and door-to-door garbage collection in the city. They also are responsible for keeping Storm drains clean to cope with the heavy Tropical Rains.
The largest telephone service provider is Sri Lanka Telecom, which previously held a monopoly over fixed line services, and provides fixed line as well as mobile services through its subsidiary Mobitel. Cell phone coverage is extensive, and the main service providers are Dialog Telekom, Mobitel, Tigo and Hutch. Both GSM and CDMA services are available in the city and Broadband internet penetration is increasing.
Electricity is provided by the Lanka Electricity Co. Ltd.
[edit] Climate
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp °C (°F) |
26 (78) |
26 (78) |
27 (80) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
27 (80) |
27 (80) |
27 (80) |
27 (80) |
26 (78) |
26 (78) |
26 (78) |
26 (78) |
| Precipitation centimeters (inches) |
8.5 (3.3) |
6.3 (2.5) |
11.2 (4.4) |
25.2 (9.9) |
33.5 (13.2) |
19.5 (7.7) |
13 (5.1) |
9.5 (3.7) |
16.5 (6.5) |
35.8 (14.1) |
30.9 (12.2) |
15.3 (6) |
225.1 (88.6) |
source: Weatherbase
[edit] Sports and recreation
Cricket is the most popular sport in the city as well as the country, and is usually played in the grounds around the city. Incidently Kotte's govt. representative in Parliament is the Former Cricket Captain Arjuna Ranathunga.
Football has grown in popularity, and the sport now has a considerable following. The Football association's new training facility at Kotte is aimed at harnessing and developing the available talent and organizing the individual players into a cohesive team. It includes a football playground with a sprinkler system, gym and a host of other facilities.[6]
Golf is another pastime that has increased in popularity. The Waters Edge country club is a 11 hole Golf course located at Battaramulla. Its infrastructure include; Restaurant/dining room/ballroom/conference hall, Driving range with 20 bays - 300 metres in length and floodlit for practice at night. Chip and putt area with bunkers, Swimming pool, Spa, gym, games arcade, beauty salon and a karaoke lounge.
Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and gyms, and include tennis, squash, billiards, horse riding, Indoor cricket, badminton and table tennis. One such place where all these sports come together is the Austasia Sports and Leisure Complex. It is the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka and is best known for hosting indoor cricket competitions.
Horse riding can be pursued at the Premadasa Riding School in Nugegoda.
[edit] External links
| Find more information on Kotte by searching Wikipedia's sister projects | |
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[edit] Government
- Government of Sri Lanka Official Web Portal
- The Parliament of Sri Lanka
- CIA Fact book
- Ministry of Defence : Sri Lanka
[edit] Academic
[edit] History
[edit] Sports
[edit] Maps
- Detailed Satellite image from WikiMapia
- Aerial Images From Windows Local Live,TerraServer,Google Maps
- Map from World Atlas,Multimap
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sri Lanka: A Country Study. (html). Russell R. Ross and Andrea Matles Savada. Retrieved on February 26, 2007.
- ^ European encroachment and dominance (html). U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved on February 26, 2007.
- ^ Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka 1400-1565 A. D (html). G. P. V. Somaratne. Retrieved on December 2, 2006.
- ^ The UNP Returns to Power. (html). Russell R. Ross and Andrea Matles Savada. Retrieved on February 26, 2007.
- ^ Canal transport to ease traffic pile up . (html). Chanuka Mannapperuma. Retrieved on July 10, 2005.
- ^ National training centre for Football at Beddegana (html). Sri Lanka Football. Retrieved on February 26, 2007.
| Main Cities Of Sri Lanka |  |
|---|---|
| Colombo | Sri Jayewardenapura | Anuradhapura | Trincomalee | Jaffna | Kandy | Polonnaruwa | Galle | Batticaloa | Nuwara Eliya | Negombo | Kurunegala | Badulla | Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia | Moratuwa | |
